Posted by Captin Cannuck on November 28, 2008 at 20:03:38:In Reply to: great results with UPPP posted by Whitty on November 24, 2008 at 09:53:12:
I think you have some valid points there. Nevertheless, the problem with UPPP is that there is a wildcard factor, which is how much you scar. One patient may scar more than another, and thus if two patients have the long fiberous uvula, one might scar a lot and the other not so much. The poor fellow who scars a lot will wind up with a shrunken airway.
Another point is that the results of UPPP are sometimes deceiving. For example, may patients on this board said that their apnea got better soon after UPPP, but those same folks found that their apnea got much worse after 9 or more months. There is a yo-yo factor to consider. It takes time for scar tissue to form. When scar tissue forms it pulls the inside of the throat tighter.
I urge anyone to think very carefully about UPPP or LAUP. In my opinion, they are very risky surgeries. They could benefit, but could also backfire. Unlike most surgeries where the majority of people improve, this one involves a much lower chance of success and a much higher chance of adverse result.